Pump valve



J. L. HAYES PUMP VALVE Nov. 8, 1955 Filed OCT.. 14, 1952'lll/101411144114441 INVENTOR.

BY James L Hayes fmam Ma/ym A or neys United States Patent() PUMPYALVEJames L. Hayes, Marietta, N. C. Application October 14, 1952, Serial No.314,718 4 Claims. (Cl. 103--221) This invention relates to pumps, andmore particularly to an improved pump valve structure.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedvalve structure in a pump of the lift type, such as pumps employed forraising water from wells, the improved valve structure involving simpleparts, providing a substantially positive sealing action, and

while it is being used.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved valvestructure for a lift pump, the improved structure involving inexpensivecomponents, requiring a minimum amount of maintenance, preventingfreezing of the pump in cold weather, and providing reliable operationof the pump.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom .the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 isa *fragmentary side elevational view of the lower portion ofan improved pump constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is Yan enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure Figure 3 is a bottom pian View of the apertured flexible coverelement employed between the pump cylinder and the base of the pump in-t-he struct-ure shown in Figures l and 2, and show-ing the seal-ingelement integrally -connected therewith, a portion of the sealingelement being broken away.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the pump base, the cylinder of the pumpbeing removed.

Referring to the drawings, the pump' is generally designated at 11 andcomprises a base 12 formed with a central inlet passage 13 to which isconnected the depending inlet conduit 14 which leads'to the source ofWater to be raised, such as to a well or the like. Des ignated at 15 isa vertical cylinder which is secured on the base 12, as by thediametrically opposed bolts 16, 16, the cylinder 15 being provided withthe conventional water-elevating piston, not shown, which is commonlyemployed in pumps of this type. It will be understood that on the upwardstroke of the piston, suction is developed in the lower portion of thecylinder 1S below the piston, causing water to be raised from the wellor other source through the inlet pipe 14 and the passage 13 into thecylinder 15. On the downward stroke, the piston valve opens, allowingthe piston to descend freely, and on the upward stroke, the piston valvecloses, causing the water in the upper portion of the cylinder to beelevated and to be delivered from the pump.

Designated at 17 is a circular cover member of ilexible material, suchas of rubberized fabric, having a fabric main body embedded in a matrixof rubber. The cover member 17 is formed with the arcuate slot 18concentric with the cover member, as shown in Figure 3, and is furtherintegrally formed with a depending, relatively 'eliminating thenecessity for frequently priming the pump ICC 2 flat, downwardly Haringsealing element 19 which normally sealingly engages the top edges of theinlet passage 13, said top edges being slightly elevated above thebottom surface 20 of the top wall of base 12 as shown in Figure 2. Therim of the inlet passage 13 is designated by the reference numeral 21.As shown in Figure 2, the relatively thin tapered peripheral edge of thescaling element 19 rests on the rim 21, and .because of the downwardlyaring shape of the sealing element 19, a clearance is provided wherebythe peripheral' portion of the sealing element may flex upwardly towardthe main body of the cover member 17.

As shown in Figure 3, the sealing element 19 has substantially the sameradius as the inner edge of the arcuate slot 1S, whereby said arcuateslot is unobstructed at all times by the sealing element 19. Designatedat 22 is a rigid disc which is secured centrally to the top surface ofthe cover 17, as by a bolt 23 threadedly engaged in the center of thedisc 22 from below and extending through the center of the cover 17, asis clearly .shown in Figure 2. The rigid disc 22 is formed at itsperiphery with an upstanding lug 24 which is engageable by the pistonwhen the piston reaches the lower end of the cylinder. When the pistonthus engages the lug 24, the plate 22 is tilted, causing the sealingelement 19 to be likewise tilted, since said sealing element is securedto the center of disc 22 by the bolt 23 and by a washer 25 engaging asubstantial area of the central portion on the bottom sur` face of thesealing element 19. This insures positive opening of the Sealing element19 when the piston reaches the lower end of the cylinder, whereby waterin the cylinder may be drained back into the inlet conduit 14 whenoperation of the pump Vis terminated, preventing freezing of the pumpin' cold weather.

When the piston reaches the .top end of the stroke, the

`water which has been drawn upwardly into the cylinder 15 will beretained in the cylinder, since the flexible sealing element 19 makessealing contact with the top rim 21 of the inlet passage 13, and thewater will be retained in the lower portion of the cylinder 15 when thepiston is moved downwardly, as above described. The sealing element 1'9remains in sealing contact with the top rim 21 of passage 13 during theentire downward movement of the piston during normal operation of thepump and prevents leakage of the water in the cylinder 15 back throughthe conduit 14 during this portion of the piston stroke, whereby it isnot necessary to constantly prime the pump when it is operated.

lt will be understood that the relatively thin peripheral portion of thesealing element 19 is yieldable to the up'- ward pressure of waterthereon when the piston is elevated, to allow the water to flow upwardlythrough the passage 13 and through the arcuate slot 18 into the lowerportion of the cylinder 15. Therefore, on the upward, or suction strokeof the pump piston, the peripheral portion of the sealing element 19exes upwardly toward the main body of the cover 17 and allows the waterto be raised by the suction developed by the piston into the cylinder15. At the end of the suction stroke, the peripheral portion of thesealing element 19 descends into sealing engagement with the top rim 21of the water inlet passage 13.

While a specific embodiment of an improved sealing structure for a waterpump has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will beunderstood that various modifications within the spirit of the inventionmay occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that nolimitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope ofthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a pump having a vertically reciprocating piston, a base formedwith a central inlet passage having a top peripheral rib elementextending above the adjacent surface of said base, a vertical cylindersecured on said base concentrically around said passage and housing saidpiston, an apertured flexible cover element secured be-A tween saidcylinder and said base concentrically with said rib clement, and adepending relatively ilat, downwardly aring sealing element taperingoutwardly in thickness and integrally formed on said cover elementconcentrically therewith and overlying said rib clement, the peripheralportion of said sealing element being relatively llexible as comparedwith the central portion of said sealing element and normally sealinglyengaging said rib element, said peripheral portion being yieldable tothe upward pressure of water thereon.

2. ln a pump having a vertically re iprocating piston, a base formedwith a central inlet passage having n top peripheral rib elementextending above the adjacent surface of said base, a vertical cylindersecured on said base concentrically around said passage and housing saidpiston, an apertured flexible cover element secured between saidcylinder and said base concentrically with said rib element, a dependingrelatively flat, downwardly flaring sealing element tapering outwardlyin thickness and integrally formed on said cover element concentricallytherewith and overlying said passage, the peripheral portion of saidsealing element being relatively flexible as compared with the centralportion of said sealing element and normally sealingly engaging said ribclement, said peripheral portion being yieldable to the upward pressureof water thereon, and rigid means on the top of said cover element andol'lset from the center of the sealing element acting to tilt saidscaling element responsive to the abutment of lthe pump piston therewithwhen the piston is moved downwardly in the cylinder.

3. ln a p'urnp having a vertically reciprocating piston, a base formedwith a central inlet passage having a top peripheral rib elementextending above the adjacent surface of said base, a vertical cylindersecured on said base concentrically around said passage and housing saidpiston, an apertured lexible cover element secured between said cylinderand said base concentrically with said rib element, a dependingrelatively llat, downwardly ilaring, substantially circular sealingelement tapering outwardly in thickness and integrally formed on saidcover element concentrically therewith and overlying said passage, the

peripheral portion of said sealing element being relatively lexible ascompared with the central portion of said sealing element and normallysealingly engaging said rib clement, said peripheral portion beingyieldable to the upward pressure of water thereon, a rigid circularplate secured to the top of said cover element, and upstanding abutmentmeans on said rigid plate offset from thc center of the sealing elementand acting to tilt said sealing element responsive to the abutment ofthe pump piston therewith when said piston is moved downwardly in thecylinder,

4. ln a pump having a vertically reciprocating piston, a base formedwith a central inlet passage having a top peripheral rib elementextending above the adjacent surface of said base, a vertical cylindersecured on said base concentrically around said passage and housing saidpiston, an ap'erturcd ilexible cover element secured between saidcylinder and said base concentrically with said rib element, a dependingrelatively flat, downwardly flaring, substantially circular sealingelement tapering outwardly' in thickness and integrally formed on saidcover element concentrically therewith and overlying said passage, theperipheral of said sealing element being relatively ilexible as comparedwith the central portion of said sealing element and normally sealinglyengaging said rib element, said peripheral portion being yieldable tothe upward pressure of water thereon, a rigid circular plate secured tothe top of said cover element and an upstandin g lug on the periphery ofsaid rigid plate offset from the center ol' the sealing element andacting to tilt said sealing element responsive to the abutment of thepump' piston with said lug when said piston is moved downwardly in thecylinder.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 39,259Holly July 14, 1863 2,000,883 Cullen et al May 7, 1935 2,027,137 YeomansJan. 7, 1936 FOREIGN PATENTS 367,456 Italy June 24, 1939 558,201 GreatBritain Dec. 24, 1943 647,998 France Dec. 4, 1928 kgsa-

